Travel news

Flying giants

The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and Clarifications column, Sunday January 18 2004

In the article below we wrongly stated that Emirates
would be the launch airline for the Airbus A380. Singapore Airlines will be
the first airline to operate the A380 in 2006.

This year will see a new generation of planes that will revolutionise long-haul travel and make stopovers a thing of the past.

The world's longest non-stop commercial service is due to go into service between Singapore and Los Angeles on 3 February. The Singapore Airlines flight, using Airbus A345s, will take just 16 hours to LA, and 18.5 on its return. A similar daily service between Singapore and New York will be launched later in the year, taking 18 hours. The planes include a cabin area where passengers can socialise and have AC power supplies in their seats in the Executive Economy section.

An even bigger aviation development is expected in 2006, when two-storey planes the size of a football pitch are launched by Airbus. The A380 will be the biggest passenger carrier when it goes into operation.

Two versions are being produced; the long-range model will carry 550 people and travel 8,800 miles without stopping, the high capacity version will carry 650 people and travel 7,800 miles.

The new plane can travel further than current models such as the jumbo jet without having to stop to refuel and will also carry more passengers. The Boeing jumbo jet, currently the largest in operation, carries just 410 people and can travel 7,200 miles.

Airlines Virgin Atlantic, Singapore Airlines, Qantas, Lufthansa, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar, Air France and Emirates have ordered Airbus A380s for some long-haul flights. Emirates will launch the first A380 in 2006, followed by Virgin Atlantic.

About this article

Flying giants

This article appeared on p4 of the Observer Escape section of the Observer
on Saturday 3 January 2004.
It was published on
the Guardian website
at 14.29 EST on Sunday 4 January 2004.
It was last modified at 14.29 EDT on Monday 2 October 2006.
It was first published at 19.00 EST on Tuesday 21 November 2006.